Shift: FIA Class-One Touring Masters
by 122 Generation
Summary: Follow teammate cousins Maria Lougheed and Leon Pinetree in their war for the title of the popular international touring car series, partaking the first season between the world's elite racing machines. Inspired by Shift 2: Unleashed, Super GT, and the DTM. Please contribute OC racers!
1. Prologue

**(I'm basing the main character from my book Pokétopia Endurance Championship. Go and take a look at the book cover to get an idea what she looks like if you want, and she's older in **_**this**_** racing story than the Pokétopia one…)**

**122 Generation (that's me) highly recommends you (the reader) search an image of the circuit map as it is a little stressful to explicitly explain what the track looks like.**

**The cover image is owned by BMW Motorsport.**

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><p><strong><strong>FIA Class-One Touring Masters<strong>**

_**Chapter one: Prologue**_

**Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, United States**

The sound of rushing wind.

The typical Californian sun and clear skies, but with a frosty chill in the air.

Was it just the sun that made it seem hot, or was it more likely because of what was gathered on the circuit?

The slightly-cracked tarmac doesn't know whether it wants to be hot or cold.

"_Formation shall begin in a few minutes_," the team principal said. "_Why haven't you started up your engine yet?_"

"Oh! Sorry!" the driver said, surprised. How could she have forgotten? Was it because it was her first race? Was it because it was _the_ first race, and that she was in the moment an opening race? No matter. The driver pressed an ignition button with a gloved finger and then placed her hands firmly on the race wheel. The sound of 480 horsepower echoed throughout the cell of the car. Her right foot gently touched the throttle as her fingers brushed the shift paddles behind the race wheel.

A Mazda RX-8 safety car drove onto the track, and the cars followed one by one.

Through the turns and bends and up to the iconic corkscrew chicane of the Laguna Seca, it was very much smooth driving from there. There were only a few turns left, but shortage of straight, until the final 90-ish degree corner where the finishing straight was in sight.

Car after car remained in formation, not overtaking one another, as they all slowed to a stop in the same formation near the start line. Yellow flags waved constantly in the air. The Mazda RX-8 safety car had led the field for a slow lap up until this moment. As the cars slowed down to give each other some space, the RX-8 pulled away into the pit lane.

Twenty FIA Class-One-spec cars lined up on the starting grid. Thanks to the unification of DTM and Super GT regulations, international touring car racing could now officially be more diverse and integrated. Leading auto manufacturers now place their faith into their cars lined up on this very grid. Almost every car lined on this grid were works-or-factory supported machines: pure-bred racing cars engineered to race with the full support of the manufacturer.

Eighth on the grid lined up this particular BMW M4 DTM. The colours of pearl Crystal White encased most of the M4 DTM, complemented with the iconic colour of BMW i Blue highlight on the kidney grille and the underside, and metallic Frozen Black for the lower side chassis. Sponsors decorated: **BMW EfficientDynamics** on the bonnet. On the doors: **BMW EfficientDynamics Technology**, with M tricolour on the edges, and a tiny **M4 **part on the front kidney grille that came standard with the stock model. That and many more sponsors' names on select parts of the M4, like Puma and Hankook). Last but not least, the words **M Power** were neatly printed on the rear spoiler to give the car an efficient-looking appearance. Hence, the car was legally known as the **BMW** **EfficientDynamics M4 DTM**.

The driver of this BMW M4 DTM stared away at the Californian sky as racing officials continued to wave away the yellow flags.

The driver was a BMW factory driver, and unlike everyone on this race field, she was a 19-year old girl and professional race driver. With her blue-green-and-white helmet fastened onto her HANS device, and wearing the BMW works driver racing suit, she sat at the wheel of the EfficientDynamics BMW M4 DTM. It was _her_ M4 DTM, after all.

_Today marks the first race of the FIA Class-One Touring Masters_, she thought. _Imagine how much was invested into making this day happen…_

The driver's name was Maria Lougheed.

_Leading manufacturers around the world would just _die_ for this day to happen. Twenty cars line up on this first season, and each car is works supported_, Maria continued to think, inside that blue, green, and white helmet of hers.

She kept her left foot firmly down on the brake. Her gloved hand gripped the race wheel tightly, as her fingers rested on the shift paddles behind the race wheel.

All this tension circulating the air… all the cars seemingly standing still, and waiting for the big even to happen. It seemed like the longest moments in Maria's life!

Qualifying beside Maria was her sister car, the other BMW M4 DTM entered by the same team Maria was assigned to. This M4 DTM on the grid beside her carried the colours of the Canadian retailer Hudson's Bay Company. The HBC logo decorated the two doors, and the car had a pearl white shine with four stripes – green, red, yellow, and indigo – stretching from the rear spoiler, across the top, and onto the bonnet to end at the kidney grille.

This **Hudson's Bay Company BMW M4 DTM** qualified seventh, and would start about half a car length ahead and beside the **BMW EfficientDynamics M4 DTM**. This was normal for starting a race, but Maria found it unsettling to have her teammate starting as such close proximity.

The sound of rumbling engines, quiet like a monster would in its slumber, complained impatiently as they waited for the race to start. Once the race started, the twenty powerhouses would be unleashed.

"_Hey, Maria_," her team principal said through her team radio. "_The last cars of the grid are around the final corner and are lining up on the grid too. Get ready._"

What Maria could see way ahead in the first row were two Audi RS 5 DTMs. One was coloured black, white, and red, with Need for Speed decals all over it. The other Audi had trademark Audi decals instead.

The heat from the engines made the atmosphere… blurry, and anyone could feel the heat what that emitted from the cars, even if they were sitting in the stands. As the last two cars took up their positions on the grid, the racing officials waving the yellow flags put down the flags. On the other hand, one of the officials had his yellow flag replaced with a green one.

"_This is it!_" Maria's team principal said.

Maria still had her left foot on the brake, but she waited for the signal. Through the space in her helmet, she fixed her eyes on the two rows of five red lights above.

The first two red lights blinked.

While her left foot was on the brake, this time she had her right foot stamped hard on the throttle. The sound of a loud V8 engine revved throughout the inside of the BMW M4 DTM, and outside for the entire grid to hear. She wasn't the only one, as literally every car lined up on the grid also loudly revved their engines. As everyone did this, the next two red lights, then the third set…

Maria's focus remained on the lights.

…the fourth set, and finally the fifth set… All ten lights were lighted.

In the briefest instant of time, it stood still. Absolutely still. It was the longest instant one could imagine, and it was conceivable…

All ten red lights blinked off.

Maria released her left foot from the brake pedal and only let the right foot floor the throttle. Finally, the sprinters with their powerful hearts would run the hour-long race. In Maria's case, the power built up instantly, and in a matter of a few fractions of a second she had used the right-hand shift paddle to accelerate up to 3rd gear.

All the other cars followed.

The two Audis leading the field, the **Need for Speed** and** Belgian Audi Club RS 5 DTMs** respectively, tore away first, as they cleared Sector 1 in a matter of seconds and were driving away at the 180 degree Sector 2: the Andretti Hairpin.

Car after car after car followed through the Andretti Hairpin, but they were all extremely careful not to collide with each other, and yet still be aggressive.

Imagine the fight everyone would have to go through now. In Maria Lougheed's case, all she had to do was be consistent for the first bit, and then fight away when the competition began to heat up even more.

She continued the upshift, whilst hearing the deafening buzz of all the cars trying to fight away for a spot in the points, let alone the podium. Maria could feel the earth shake beneath her car, her heartbeat pulse loudly in her ears, and the shakiness that came from the sensitive racing wheel. It was a fight for her even control the car at this speed yet at the same time not causing an accident.

Her breathing rate, and she could not notice this, had quickened as she tried her best to fight for a spot ahead, and yet defend herself. Clearly, it was too much for the mind to handle. She could faintly hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, even if it was loud, because the sound of the M4 DTM's engine clearly overpowered all noise that would ever come near the world-class racing machine.

Maria entered the third sector and briefly heard the familiar run of racing tyres – _her_ racing tyres – rumble over the kerb and to the fourth sector, which Maria glided over flawlessly. Yet, rival cars began to fight with her neck-and-neck, but then again, there were lots of other cars fighting neck-and-neck for a higher position. The real trick was not to collide with anyone in the opening lap.

So this is what the start of the FIA Class-One Touring Masters feels like.

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><p><strong>Reader contributions start in the next chapter. It's already written, but I'd like to see readers' feedback first!<strong>

****Athough **I'm a university student, this story had been in my head for a while, so I thought I'd get to it. Sheesh... and my final exams start in three days.**


	2. Granted Entry

**Again, this is a chapter I wrote in a rush to get it off my head. I really should be studying for finals right now. Actually, I'll do just that.**

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><p><em><span><strong>Chapter two: Granted Entry<strong>_

**Three months earlier**

**Coquitlam, Greater Vancouver, Canada**

"You can't be serious!" the 19-year old girl shouted, as she was unable to hold back her excitement. "Did I seriously get in? You're kidding me!"

This 19-year old, with brown neck-length hair that extended down and then upwards from behind her head (**A/N: yeah… go look at the Pokétopia book cover to get the idea what she looks like**), simply grinned at the great news she had received. Sitting across from her was a man in a blue-and-black suit, with black hair and steel-rim glasses. It was Michael Fong, the assistant director and general manager for BMW Motorsport, and it was he who delivered the news.

"BMW Motorsport has decided to offer you a factory contract and a place on the roster as a works driver," Michael explained. "I have the contract with me, and it's good for a year unless BMW wants to extend it. I doubt it, though. We do this because all our factory drivers are very busy this year. Oddy, don't you think?"

Michael carefully examined the girl in front of him. Like the legendary Ayrton Senna, this girl loved racing, but unlike Senna, this girl treated racing like a hobby. Yet, she had lots of potential to do so. This was silly, wasn't it?

This girl's name was Maria Lougheed, and she was a resident of Vancouver, Canada. Well, specifically the City of Coquitlam, but Vancouver was better known, anyway.

"I can't believe you can make a jump from amateur to pro so instantly," Michael shook his head. "How do you even do that? This is virtually impossible. You needed to have karting or Formula Three experience to say the least, yet…"

"Hey, I did do karting before," Maria interrupted.

Michael raised his eyebrows.

He placed the file onto the table that clearly outlined the details of a BMW factory contract, and beside the file was a pen. The two of them were sitting in the living room of Maria's apartment home and discussing the terms of admitting to the works team. While Maria quickly read through the contract, Maria's mom helped serve some light snacks for the two ("Thanks," Michael said).

After a while, Maria put down the contract and asked, "Where will I be assigned if I get on the team? Is it somewhere important…? Like the Nürburgring or Spa?"

Michael scoffed. "I think everyone has their minds on the FIA Class1 Touring Masters right now. You know, BMW has been focusing their efforts in this discipline alone. Once you've got a place as a works driver, you'll know if anyone will offer you a seat."

Michael reached for a cracker and bit half of it off.

"That being said," he added, "in return for your one-year commitment, we'll pay you a year-end salary of a reasonable 750,000 CAD (that's 657,000 USD, 420,000 GBP, 528,000 EUR), since you're only an 'instant pro' driver and starting out. BMW doesn't want to take too big a chance staking on you, so they'll offer you an entry-level salary. You'll get training from BMW Motorsport in Germany, and while you're training, I'll organise the runners for the championship and see if there's a seat. Any questions?"

Maria tapped her foot while pondering at the contract before her. Indeed, she did have several questions to ask.

"What about accommodation and travel?" she asked. "Do I have to pay this out of my own pocket as well? I know BMW would provide a car and all, but don't I have to make a payment as well at some point? Both going to Germany and taking part in a championship?"

Michael grinned.

"Your future team's main partner should be the one to sponsor you, so you likely don't need to worry about that. For now," Michael said, "I'd be more worried about getting an actual seat in a race car first. For now, I'll send you to Germany, and the other driver, for some works driver training. Otherwise, you don't need to think about anything else!"

It took a while for Maria to sign the contract, but afterwards, she signed the paper with a smile.

"That was easy!" Maria said.

Before Michael could react, Maria's mom called out, "Maria! Dinner's ready!"

Maria and Michael stood up and shook hands.

"Again, I'll let you know if there's a seat for you," Michael said.

Maria was about to say something but her parents said, "Hey, Mr. Fong, would you like to stay for dinner as well? There's plenty to go around."

Within minutes, Maria was having a short dinner with her parents, but there was no shortage of discussion, though, with Michael at the table. Maria found it strange, to have basically the head of BMW Motorsport eating dinner with her parents… since when does this happen ever?

"It's a shame Leon doesn't know about this," Maria said. "He'd love to hear about an opportunity like this! If nothing else, he'd be equally happy that I got in, at least."

"Oh?" Michael raised his eyebrows again, "and who's Leon?"

Maria seemed to be deep in thought, but Michael thought that was illogical. It was a question that could be answered in seconds. What was taking so long for her to answer…?

"He's my cousin," Maria briefly said. "Older than me by six years, so he's 25, a good university student and a motor enthusiast like me. He and I… we used to do karting together when I was 12, whenever we had the time to drop by Mission."

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><p><strong>Richmond, Greater Vancouver, Canada<strong>

Two weeks later, Maria Lougheed received a phone call from Michael to head to Auto West BMW in Richmond, just across the other side of Vancouver from Coquitlam. The idea was that Michael _did_ find an open race seat in the FIA Class1 Touring Masters. More than excited already, Maria quickly commuted to Richmond to meet Michael. The commute took no less than an hour.

By the time Maria had approached the front doors of the dealership, she could see that there were several businessmen gathered near the receptionist's desk, and they seemed to be engaged in a deep conversation with each other. Ironically, the workers at this dealership found it strange and, to some long extent, uncomfortable.

Only after some careful observation could Maria notice Michael Fong

"It's nothing much," Michael said. "They're representatives from BMW Canada. Okay, I lied about the 'nothing much' part. It's important relative to us. Come with me, Maria." He motioned the girl to follow him to one of the dealership's offices. The staff of Auto West BMW, on the other hand, muttered amongst themselves.

Maria concluded they must be curious why BMW would hire such a young girl to be a race driver. Nevertheless, she dismissed the thought and followed Michael to the office where another man in a business suit waited for them. The waiting man had a late-thirties appearance and looked like the sort of person who took his job seriously, but liberally. Michael gestured Maria in and closed the glass door.

"This is Dr. Dan Hilbert," Michael introduced. "Dr. Hilbert is owner of the team that will partake in the FIA Class1 Touring Masters, and will enter two BMW M4 DTMs. It also happens that this team is operated by BMW Canada, since Dan himself is an admin within the company. Dr. Hilbert, this is Maria Lougheed, the new works driver."

"Let's get down to business then," said Hilbert. After he and Maria shook hands, the two sat down on opposite sides of the desk and Michael walked outside.

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><p>An hour-long discussion followed, where Hilbert and Maria talked about the supposed team that Maria was offered. According to Hilbert, the team he proposed entry had been granted factory-backing from BMW Motorsport, so the team would officially be a works team, with BMW supplying engineers and mechanics straight from the motorsport division.<p>

Maria would be offered a seat in the BMW M4 DTM by Hilbert and BMW, in short. In addition, Hilbert's team banner would carry the name BMW Team Canada, since the team is indeed operated by BMW Canada and was works supported.

"As a factory driver, you're being paid by BMW to race for them," Hilbert said. "So that means we at BMW Canada will not have to cover your salary. Since we are entering an international event, BMW Canada will also finance your travel expenses too, provided that they are in concurrence with the team, obviously."

"Let's recap: in return for entering BMW Team Canada for the championship, we'll give you a car, a place on the team, and covered travel expenses as the championship progresses. There will, of course, be bonuses for any podium finish. But obviously, we want to aim for the title…"

"Obviously," Maria nodded.

The only left to do was to sign the agreement between her and Hilbert. BMW Team Canada… wow! Not only was Maria going to race around the world, but she'll be in a team with operated by her home nation! Incredible!

"Oh yeah, I left one thing out," Hilbert said, where his expression read he seemed to remember something. "We're a team, right? As this team enters two BMW M4s, I thought it'd be best if you got to know your teammate as well. I got him signed just yesterday, since I needed to make quick contracts. Michael agrees we needed drivers before the deadline."

_Eh? A local?_ Maria thought.

"Ah, there's Michael now," Hilbert looked up. "And there's the other driver, your teammate."

Maria turned around to see Michael talking with a man in his mid-twenties, 25-years old to be exact, but this man was extremely familiar to Maria. Too familiar. It was because Maria knew him. He had a lean build, slightly spiky metallic-blue hair, and a handsome face.

At first Maria showed an expression of shock as Michael and the other guy walked in, but upon walking in Maria got up quickly and hugged Michael's companion. Much to Dr. Hilbert's shock.

"Hi, Leon! Long-time no see!" Maria said happily.

Leon appeared a little stunned, but he hugged Maria back after. "Nice to see you again, my little cousin."

Michael was completely aware of the scene before him and Hilbert's reaction. Clearly, Hilbert was stunned and he just stared at them, which prompted Michael to laugh.

"I thought Maria already told you she and Leon are cousins?" Michael said with a chuckle, as he smiled at the shocked expression on Dr. Hilbert's face.

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><p><strong>I'm going to need a sufficient number of competitors to advance this story! Therefore, I'm offering a limited number of up to eight more teams to participate, and these teams will be supporting roles in the story. In short, I'd like to see how the community would contribute. This is simply a test to see what readers' creativity is like.<strong>

**The rules are simple: follow this guideline!**

**1. Team: make a team name (with at least one of: (Motorsport, Team, Racing) in the name), and separately which country your team is based. It doesn't need the manufacturer's name in it.**

**2. Machine/Car: Choose the model the team operates with. Each team must use two of a certain car. They're all of similar performance due to unified regulations between DTM and Super GT. Include a brief description of the colour(s) of the car, and the effect of colour (metallic, pearl, matte, etc)**

**There are six cars to choose from. The team will use two of the same model and the cars are as of 2014 spec.**

**DTM**

**Audi RS 5 DTM, BMW M4 DTM, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé**

**Super GT**

**Honda NSX-GT, Lexus RC F, Nissan GT-R**

**3. Sponsor 1: The sponsor of Car 1. It has to be a real company. Also, it will be part of the car's name, and I will consider if it's a good enough name also. (Tip: you can use hotels like Crowne Plaza, retailers like Samsung or Armani Exchange, or tech companies like Blackberry or Apple, or luxury watchmakers like Zenith or Audemars Piguet, as long as they are reputable enough too. I don't recommend food companies, though, but I'll consider the entry, anyway.).**

**Examples: Red Bull DTM AMG C-Coupé, SONY Lexus RC F, and my own (BMW EfficientDynamics M4 DTM, Hudson's Bay Company BMW M4 DTM)**

**4. Driver 1: Name of the driver of Car 1. (First and last, obviously, and will likely be used), with nationality and hometown/city (may or may not be used, as a national anthem is needed for those who win a race), and how old he/she is. Depending on how much effort you effort you want to input, you can choose whether your driver plays a major or minor supporting role in the story. Again, I'll limit the number of major drivers.**

**5. Sponsor 2: The sponsor of Car 2. (Same idea as Sponsor 1)**

**6. Driver 2: The name and/or nationality of the driver of Car 2. (Same idea as driver 2)**

**Send me your entry by PM only. Entry by review will be rejected because I don't want to get in trouble… but you can review to let in your interest! You can review to let me and others know what car you contributed! I'll allocate start numbers later. The teams will play supporting roles, so take them semi-seriously. If you did create it thoughtfully, let me know how.**

**I reserve the right to reject the team, driver, or car if I deem any part unsuitable. Oh yeah, and the story won't advance until the entry list is full.**


	3. The FIA C1TM Provisional Entry List

**Many thanks to those who chose to contribute a team. I'm just glad I'm on my university break right now, but it won't last...**

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><p><em><span><strong>Chapter three: The FIA C1TM Provisional Entry List<strong>_

**One month later**

**Richmond, British Columbia, Canada**

There were a lot of things to prepare for the FIA Class-One Touring Masters. BMW Motorsport assistant director Michael Fong knew this. Maria Lougheed and her cousin Leon Pinetree were away in Germany to improve their skills, meanwhile.

"They're showing good progress," the report said. "I don't doubt they can handle the M4 DTM well. My only worry is if their physique, let alone their muscles, can handle the G-forces of the car."

As he sat in his office, he received word from the FIA that the final entry list had been released. He had a printed copy, so Michael carefully studied it.

A week ago, Michael spent countless hours with BMW Motorsport entrepreneurs (Michael still represented his part as assistant director of the company) looking for potential corporate partners that would sponsor Dan Hilbert's team. Subsequently, Michael approached the giant Canadian clothing retailer Hudson's Bay Company for talks of support. After 48 hours of non-stop discussion, Michael and HBC reached a deal. Michael relayed this news to Maria and Leon after, and Leon was more than happy to take the colours of HBC for his car, as he had been a supporter of HBC.

That left Maria.

As there weren't any other Canadian companies who were prepared to support the team, Michael appealed to the BMW factory itself to support the colours of Maria's car. In the end, BMW AG decided that the colours of their EfficientDynamics program would be the best fit to showcase the brand. Other colours, like the M tricolour, came as staple colours since BMW Team Canada was a works team: a private team that had factory-support from the manufacturer. Hence its name.

It was without a doubt that the inaugural championship was going to be a fight. Michael knew enough about the teams entered into Class-One was at the least subject to technical support to being operated directly from the factory. Hence, whatever private team that was entered in the FIA C1TM had the name of their technical supporter added on officially. The start numbers had also been allocated.

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><p><strong>FIA Class-One Touring Masters Provisional Entry List<strong>

**Each team described herein along with its drivers has been authorized by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) for entry in the FIA Class-One Touring Masters (C1TM).**

**W Racing Team: Audi Sport Team WRT (Belgium):**

**1. **Driver 1: Alain Blanc

Home: Spa, Belgium

Car 1: Belgian Audi Club RS 5 DTM

**2. **Driver 2: Matias Schulz

Home: Cologne, Germany

Car 2: Need for Speed Audi RS 5 DTM

**Accelerated Racing: Accelerated by NISMO (United Kingdom):**

**3. **Driver 1: Luna Watson

Home: London, United Kingdom

Car 1: Oracle Nissan GT-R

**4. **Driver 2: Oliver Davis

Home: Winchester, United Kingdom

Car 2: Microsoft Nissan GT-R

**Team Constellar: Honda Team Constellar (United Kingdom):**

**5. **Driver 1: Percival 'Percy' O'Carroll

Home: Dublin, Ireland

Car 1: Pepsi Honda NSX-GT

**6. **Driver 2: Beverly 'Carina' Hills

Home: Manchester, United Kingdom

Car 2: IKEA Honda NSX-GT

**BMW Canada: BMW Team Canada (Canada):**

**7. **Driver 1: Maria Lougheed

Home: Coquitlam, Canada

Car 1: BMW EfficientDynamics M4 DTM:

**8. **Driver 2: Leon Pinetree

Home: Vancouver, Canada

Car 2: Hudson's Bay Company BMW M4 DTM

**X-Tech Racing: X-Tech Racing with HWA (Italy):**

**9.** Driver 1: Shade Nighsworn

Home: Florence, Italy

Car 1: Monster Energy DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé

**10.** Driver 2: Aurora Nighsworn

Home: Florence, Italy

Car 2: Toshiba DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé

**NIWA Team: Lexus Team NIWA (Japan):**

**11.** Driver 1: Ken Kaihatsu

Home: Suzuka, Japan

Car 1: Petronas Lexus RC F

**12.** Driver 2: Matsuda Kaihatsu

Home: Osaka, Japan

Car 2: Shell Lexus RC F

**Red Emperor Racing: Red Emperor by NISMO (Japan):**

**13.** Driver 1: Keiji Nakamura

Home: Tokyo, Japan

Car 1: Veilside Nissan GT-R

**14.** Driver 2: Ryo Yamamoto

Home: Gunma, Japan

Car 2: Endless Nissan GT-R

**Runway Racing: Lexus Team Runway (United States)**

**15.** Driver 1: Terrence Moss

Home: New York, United States

Car 1: Costco Lexus RC F

**16. **Driver 2: Lacey Morrison

Home: Bristol, United Kingdom

Car 2: Tesco Lexus RC F

**Rising Sun Motorsports: Rising Sun by NISMO**

**17. **Driver 1: Haru Matsubara

Home: Tsushima, Japan

Car 1: Mabuchi Motor Nissan GT-R

**18. **Driver 2: Taji Ishida

Home: Ichinomiya, Japan

Car 2: Isuzu Motors Nissan GT-R

**Pending…**

**19. Pending…**

**20. Pending…**

* * *

><p>On the other hand, Michael was confident that Maria and Leon could handle the pressure. There may be a great number of racers, but most of them averaged an age of 24, which was just a few years above rookie age. The most experienced, Michael knew, were probably the WRT drivers, seeing they were the ones who had an incredible reputation, especially with the Belgian Audi Club. Nevertheless, Michael was confident that with works support, in no small part due to Dr. Hilbert, his BMW team would have a huge impact.<p>

_This entry list looks strong_, he thought. _Oh, I better get Dr. Hilbert to have Maria and Leon complete laps with the M4 DTM when they can._

Michael Fong picked up office phone to make an international phone call.

* * *

><p><strong>Nürburgring, Ahrweiler, Germany<strong>

Elsewhere Maria Lougheed, dressed in a white racing suit decorated with BMW factory colours (a works driver suit), was busy racking up tens and tens of test laps with a deep metallic yellow BMW M4 (for those who care, it's technically called 'Austin Yellow'). There was to be no traction control, much to Maria's disbelief as she had grown used to always driving with traction control back in Canada. But as Leon always reminded her, she had done karting before.

But she had never driven a car that was so _slippery_.

Underneath her white racing helmet with blue and green elegant lines designed on it (it was Maria's personal design), Maria still had to get used to driving at high speeds in order to generate enough heat in the tyres.

If Maria didn't get used to driving fast enough to get heat, she would either spin out or she would simply crash. Plus, she had no HANS device equipped (Head and Neck Safety), so a crash would be the last thing she wanted.

"How are you supposed to drive this thing?!" Maria complained, as she drove past the start line to have completed another lap.

"_What are you talking about, Maria?_" Leon's voice spoke through the team radio in Maria's ears. "_It just takes practice, practice, practice. I have a good feel of the car already!_"

Maria looked to her left-side mirror to see an orange-coloured M4 (Sakhir Orange) to see that car begin to overtake her.

"No way!" Maria complained. She looked ahead to see the apex curve for a 180 degree turn. Braking as late as she could, she changed gears to 2nd, curved the apex, and floored the throttle after, changing to higher gears on the way. Nevertheless, the other BMW M4 overtook her quite easily.

On Leon's part, he seemed to be enjoying himself.

One or two sections later, Hilbert's voice spoke through both Maria's and Leon's radios, "_Okay, my children, that's enough practice with the cars, I think. I just got word Michael made a phone call suggesting you get practice with the touring car. BMW Motorsport has provided us with one BMW M4 DTM we can practice with, so you two can get a good feel with the car._"

"_Roger_," Leon said.

"Roger," Maria followed. "Did you say it was _Michael_ who made that phone call?"

"_Yep._"

It was fortunate that BMW had a private testing facility at the Nürburgring, otherwise Leon and Maria couldn't have found a better place to test the cars, and the feel of a race track!

According to BMW, there were about three sectors divided into ten corners for the sprint variant of the circuit normally used by the DTM: the start/finish straight (extremely fast that ends with a dangerously sharp turn right of at least 100 degrees), Mercedes Arena (a difficult section that requires driving into a wide curve, almost like a hairpin, followed by two more corners), Circuit 2 (a 180 degree turn right), Bend no. 12 (a sharp left, then sharp right, for the fastest section of the Nürburgring), where the track would straighten out for top speed for the small break at ADVAN Arch (a small bend where races pass at high speed) and more straight.

But what Maria hated most about the Nürburgring circuit here was the section after ADVAN Arch, and the penultimate section of the circuit: the NGK Chicane. Racers had to either brake hard or brake early here because of the extremely narrow design and because of racers virtually travelling at top speeds. For Maria, she found it difficult to comprehend the brake force when she stamped on the pedal. She could feel the force launch her body forward, were it not for the seatbelt. Maria could even feel the car slide away when she braked and turned!

After NGK came the final section, which was another sharp but wide turn that led to the start/finish straight again. For some reason, this section was given the name T13. Given Hilbert's orders though, the section had to wait, as Maria followed Leon into the pit lane and eventually to the garage.

Dr. Dan Hilbert was already waiting for them.

"You've clocked acceptable lap times," he said as Leon and Maria stepped out of the cars. "The DTM car is in the garage. You can decide between yourselves who gets to drive it first, otherwise, we can just decide on a coin toss instead."

Leon and Maria took up the latter offer, so Leon tossed Hilbert a Canadian five-cent nickel. Hilbert put it on his thumbnail, and flicked it up. "Call," he said.

"Tails," Maria called.

Hilbert caught the coin, slapped it on his wrist, and revealed the image of the Canadian beaver. "Indeed," he said. "Go get yourself a HANS device, Maria. That car may be more physically demanding than you might think. You'll find one in the garage."

Maria walked into the garage whilst taking off her helmet and the fireproof balaclava. In the meantime, Leon helped the team push the BMW M4 DTM, white with BMW M tricolours, on it out of the garage, with tyres supplied by Hankook. At first glance Leon was impressed by the appearance of the car but lost his appetite when he saw how small the driver's cell appeared.

"Dan," Leon said. "This seat is cramped."

"Rest assured, Leon," Hilbert smiled. "We'll make seat adjustments when Maria finishes her run with the car."

By the time the car was out on the pit lane, Maria came back with the HANS device on her shoulders and helmet on. Her eyes widened at the sight of her future ride, and stepped to open the side door (on the left side, by BMW standard). If her eyes couldn't have gotten any wider, it did.

"_Air conditioning?_" she stared. "Do you seriously need air conditioning for a race car? I though luxuries weren't allowed!"

Hilbert laughed.

"You'd be surprised at how much heat output the engine produces," he said. "In the interests of everyone's safety and your own, air conditioning is deemed mandatory by ITR, and the FIA has approved this regulation."

ITR was one of the organisers of the FIA C1TM, alongside the FIA (who was in fact the sanctioning body of the series).

**Two hours later**

"You've been hogging the car for too long, Maria!" Leon complained.

"She's only done about 40 laps," Hilbert said. "Give her ten more and we'll hand the car over to you."

"_That's right!_" Maria said back on the team radio. "_I have to admit, this is an awesome car! But ow… I feel like my stomach is going to blow. My shoulder muscles are trying to cope with the forces. But you were right, doctor. This is a physically demanding car._"

Hilbert and Leon were standing before a racing monitor showing Maria's lap times. The TV monitor wasn't on, as there was no broadcaster present at the circuit, so Hilbert and BMW had to make do with what they had.

"_On the whole, though,_" Maria's voice seemed it was out of breath, "_I think all that training with the stock models really paid off. It still takes time to get used to the car, though._"

**ADVAN Arch, many minutes later.**

Maria sat in the race seat of the BMW M4 DTM. What used to be a comfortable leather seat in the BMW M4 was now brutally replaced by a solid race-spec seat designed for the degree of safety. The HANS device, now attached to Maria's helmet, rested solidly on her shoulders.

The insides of the car were virtually stripped of everything that wasn't deemed essential for the circuit. All seats beside the driver's seat were replaced with a safety cell to ensure the driver's safety to the highest level, never mind the race-spec safety harnesses that strapped from both sides of the waist to both shoulders. The gear stick in the M4 was gone. Gears were changed by shift paddles behind the electronic race wheel. One to shift up, the other down. The mirrors were of course retained. Apart from those, the inside of the BMW M4 DTM was a nightmarish appearance of wires, electronic parts, and carbon.

And, like any DTM machine, it was lightweight and extremely powerful.

"It's goes so fast…!" Maria commented. "My ears are burning! My head is cooking!"

"_Calm down, Maria,_" Hilbert advised. "_Focus._"

Still, at the speed Maria was driving the M4 DTM it was only a very short matter of time before Maria approached the NGK Chicane. After many seconds of straight road, Maria stamped hard on the brake, clicked the left-side shift paddle with her hand to reduce gears, and drove aggressively over the two kerbs. She could feel the force of tyres jumping over the kerbs until all tyres were on solid ground, and then Maria proceeded to drive past the last sector and through the start/finish straight.

As she drove past the start line, she saw a signboard held out on the side of the track, near the pit lane. It read "MARIA PIT". Okay, that meant that her time practising with the BMW M4 DTM was over.

Oh, if only she could have ten more laps!

"I still need to practise the NGK chicane!" she complained.

"_Leon's been complaining that you've been a hog, but he doesn't need to worry. You've completed the mandatory test of 50 laps in the BMW M4 DTM. That should be enough for you, and the fuel too,_" Hilbert said. "_Bring the car back in one piece, will you? Don't worry. The Nürburgring is on the race calendar. You'll have more time to practise at the 'ring when we return here._"

Maria sighed. After several more sections, past Mercedes Arena, Bend No. 12, ADVAN Arch, and the NGK Chicane, Maria entered the pit lane and reduced her speeds.

* * *

><p>Leon Pinetree stood between two of the five pit crew members waiting for the arrival of the BMW M4 DTM. He had a HANS device equipped on his shoulders with his red and black helmet.<p>

While waiting, he watched the team members take Hankook racing tyres, all wrapped up in tyre warmers, out of their wrappings and hold the rims in four positions: one for each tyre of the car. Accompanying each tyre holder was another pit crew member who each had a wheel gun in their hands. A ninth pit member waited with the air jack.

There was no need to say each of the nine pit members was wearing identical clothes! They wore identical BMW Motorsport factory suits, supplied by apparel maker PUMA, and helmets that showed nothing more than their eyes, with orange goggles.

"_Wait until Leon has gotten into the car_," Hilbert ordered.

The BMW M4 DTM pulled over to stop between the members of the pit crew. They heard the engine shut down, and Leon went to open the door.

"Alright there, Maria?" Leon said, as he helped Maria unbuckle the four harnesses keeping her attached to the seat.

"Waah…" Maria yawned. "I want to sleep."

Leon reached out a hand which his younger cousin took. Instead of getting into the car immediately, he helped Maria back to the garage where she could get some rest. Indeed, he had never seen Maria so exhausted, if not weakened, so he wrapped one of Maria's arms on his shoulders and walked back.

"_I think the car has taken its toll on her body_," Hilbert suggested. "_You should at least take a look at the pit stop process at least, otherwise you would have done half the practice you needed!_"

"I don't know. What do you think, Maria?" Leon looked down to see his cousin's face, even though his face was almost hidden by his helmet.

"Mm… okay," Maria turned to look at the car. Leon followed her gaze.

The nine members of the pit stop crew immediately got to work. The member with the air jack stuck it into an air hole on the car's left side where air jacks shot from below the M4. Almost simultaneously, the wheel gun members drilled their devices into the middle of the rims to eject the wheel. After the wheel gun members had ejected the wheel and placed it on the ground behind them, the member with the fresh tyre replenished the M4's need for new tyres. The wheel gun members drilled the tyre in afterward, and the air jack was pulled out so the car was resting on the ground again.

"See that, Maria?" Leon said.

"Mm…" Maria nodded away. But she did nod.

Leon smiled and took his cousin back into the garage to find a place to put her down. There was a bench inside the garage, so he placed her there.

Minutes later, Leon Pinetree was sitting at the wheel of the BMW M4 DTM. He had to admit, the racing cockpit overflowed with heat from the engine. He had this realisation when he opened the door to feel a burst of heat shoot out and hit his body.

"_Ready when you are, Leon_," Hilbert said. "_I'll get a first aid worker to see how Maria's doing. Heh, we might as well treat the team for dinner in light of our test laps today._"

"You bet," Leon replied. He reached a gloved hand for the button that would ignite the engine of the DTM car and heard the roar of the engine come alive. The car was ready. Leon hit the throttle, hearing the loud revs of the engine on the way, to leave the team behind and onto the Nürburgring. Now it was his turn to get to test drive the BMW M4 DTM!

* * *

><p><strong>If you haven't contributed a team yet, or you really want to, it's not too late to send one now! This is only a provisional entry list, so there's plenty of time to contribute a team. Just send one by PM. Also, to those who contributed, if you're not satisfied with your sponsor, it's also not too late to change it, because this entry list is provisional.<strong>


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